This application pertains to the art of lining vessels, and more particularly, to lining vessels with a castable material. The invention is particularly applicable to casting refractory linings in ladles and will be described with specific reference thereto. However, it will be appreciated that the invention has broader aspects, and at least certain features thereof may be used for other purposes.
In lining a ladle with refractory material, it is common to brick in the bottom and to cast the sidewall. A collapsible mandrel used for casting the sidewall must be sealed at its intersection with the brick bottom. This seal is extremely difficult to maintain, and significant amounts of castable refractory leak past the seal beneath the bottom edge of the collapsible mandrel. Once the cast refractory solidifies, it is necessary to ram a fillet at the intersection between the brick bottom and the cast sidewall refractory.
It would be desirable to have the capability of casting a ladle bottom, and to simultaneously cast a ladle bottom and sidewall.